PARLIAMENT- Speaker Rebecca Kadaga has sent the embattled director Parliamentary Budget Office, Mr Samuel Wanyaka, on annual leave to pave way for investigations by the Inspector General of Government (IGG) into one of the high-profile corruption scandals in Parliament.

The IGG recently received complaints from a whistleblower that Mr Wanyaka was allegedly engaged in misuse of funds and that he had grossly abused and mismanaged the office.

While the IGG had demanded that Mr Wanyaka be interdicted, the authorities in Parliament decided to send the director on “annual leave” even as the IGG piled pressure on the Clerk to Parliament, Ms Jane Kibirige, to interdict the director. “The director budget was sent on annual leave and not interdicted,” a source close to Speaker’s office said yesterday. “He left office on Wednesday and the Clerk to Parliament communicated to the IGG and other stakeholders.”

The annual leave, which is for one month, was reportedly granted to the director with the blessing of Ms Kadaga, who chairs the Parliamentary Commission.

This means that after one month, the director will be free to return to office whether the IGG investigations are completed or not. Asked how the IGG would handle the situation, Ms Ali Munira, the IGG publicist said: “We will see what will happen if we get into that situation.”